VirtueThanks to ancient documents and chemical analysis technology, experts create attractive perfume scents that can maintain the fragrance for two years.
Illustration of Queen Cleopatra meeting Roman politician Mark Antony. Image: Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Scientists created a compound similar to the perfume used by Cleopatra VII – the Egyptian queen who attracted extremely powerful men in the ancient world such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, IFL Science reported on May 9. New research published in the journal Near Eastern Archeology.
In the ancient world, Egypt was famous for the production of scents. By the time Cleopatra VII, the Egyptians had at least 3,000 years of experience and were very good at this. Not long after her death, a recipe book attributed to her appeared. More than 2,000 years later, scientists are trying to recreate the manufacturing process as well as the materials in it.
The basis of Egyptian perfumes and ointments was vegetable oil or tallow instead of modern alcohol. Scent is produced through smoke from burning myrrh, bark and herbs, or through impregnating resins, flowers, herbs, spices, and woods.
The precise meaning of the Egyptian hieroglyphs used to record these formulas has faded over time. Scientists know the names of the oils used in Cleopatra’s rituals, but are uncertain about their composition. Records in Greek and Roman are easier to translate, but less reliable because the author is often an outsider, not the perfumer.
However, the discovery of an ancient structure most likely to be a perfumery factory in Thmouis has brought new opportunities. Thmouis is an extension of Mendes, whose perfume is famous throughout the Mediterranean. Ceramic perfume bottles are found a lot here and experts say they are for commercial purposes.
The scientists used X-ray fluorescence to analyze the molecules in the vials, including the Nile sediment used to make the jars and the residue of the contents inside. Combining historical texts with modern chemical analysis, Dr Dora Goldsmith at Frele University Berlin and Dr Sean Coughlin at Humboldt University Berlin test a wide range of potential substances in the hope of finding the scent of perfume. Cleopatra.
Using a variety of ingredients and processing methods, they create an extremely pleasant scent, with the pungent aroma of crushed myrrh, cinnamon, accompanied by a sweet aroma. Furthermore, the attractive scent could last for two years, which is consistent with records that Egyptian perfumes retain their quality in transit. Not only is the fragrance scented, the blend also contains antifungal and antibacterial agents that help prevent unpleasant odors and allow the desired scent to emerge.
The new research is in the small but growing field of recreating ancient scents. Research even extends to the reproduction of less-pleasant odors. For example, Goldsmith created the “smell landscape” of ancient Egyptian cities that included palaces, temples, and workshops for everything from sandals to weapons.
Thu Thao (According to IFL Science)
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
